Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-02-25

burning dimly in the sitting
room but the sleeplng-room be-
yond it was in total darkness
Opening from the sleeping.room
was a large bathroom, and adjOln'
ing this was large clothes-close'.
L locked the door as usual, turned
OFF the gas, and went to bed, as
frequently did, without striking a
light in the sleeping-room or open
ing the doors leading to the bath
room and closet. l was tired, and
fell asleep Immediately.
"How long 1 slept soundly can
not tell. l am utterly unable to
describe the first sensation ex-
perienced. Dlmly, and afar of, l
heard Dick MunsOE's voice, speak
ing as though in terrible fear or
from out an Overpowering night
mare.
wAt first the sounds came to me
like a voice mufiled by the walls OF
close room, and conveyed to my
mind no distinct torn of Words
Rnt the tone was one of warning,
and told me as plainly as words
could have done that l was in dead
ly peril of some kind.
CATER time the voice ceased,
and l heard, as plainly as | now
hear the rambling of wheels out
side, the rapping of a private signal
known only to Dick and myself,
and used only IN the bank when he
desired to attract my attention to
any face or suspicious circum.
stances In front of his window
This was repeated several times
Then l heard the voice again, clear
and distinct this time, as though a
door or window had been opened In
the room from which it proceeded.
"There was no installing the
words this time. | heard them
over and over again, as one hears
words in vivid dreams: Lock the
bathroom door, can't get that
sIouching figure out of my mind ?
With the words came a feeling
which l cannot describe, but which
you have, doubtless, all experienced
"a sensation of immediate person
al danger coupled with a physical
inability to control a muscle to
meet il.
"The words and the private sig
nal alternated many times, and
then / heard a crash-such a crash
as would follow the falling Of a
heavy window-sash.
"Absolute silence followed, and
with the silence came a sense OF
physical depression, as though a
current of electricity which had
wrought my nerves to their utmost
tension had suddenly been with
drawn.
81 awoke instantly. When / say
1 awoke, 1 mean that | awoke to a
consciousness of the things imme'
dlately about me, for it is my be-
lief that my mental condition pre-
vious to that time cannot be ex'
pressed or described by the word
sleep.
81 heard the City Hall CLOCK
strike one, and tried to sleep again,
but could not do so. could think
of nothing but the slOuching figure
l bad seen early in the evening on
the outer edge of the walk; | found
it impossible to forget the myster-
ious words warning me to lock the
bathroom door,
al should have got out of bed
and made tour of the bathroom
and closet, only it occurred to me
it would be a rather ridiculous
thing to do. Men who pride them
selves on a practical turn of mind
dislike to do ridiculous things, even
when alone. Besides, nOtwithstand'
ing the effect produced upon me by
what bad heard, 1 regarded the
matter as an unusually clear cut
dream, and was not in the least
alarmed. The longer l lay awake
the more thoroughly did l become
convinced that the nervous sus'
picions of the paying teller were
alone responsible for my losing a
good hour of sleep, and | resolved
to make up for lost time as soon as
possible by turning over for another
nap.
"If had not, as a preliminary
step 10 the resolve so formed,
raised myself IN bed and made a
great noise beating up and rear
ranging my pillows, perhaps the
most trying portion of that nights
experience would have been spared
me. Be that as it may, the fact re-
mains that before l had arranged
my pillows to my liking my atten-
ton was diverted from my task by
three rather starting objects.
"The first was a dark.lantern
pouring its round red rays full in
my face. The second was an un-
usually long and uunaturally bright
self-cocking revolver located within
six inches of my nose. The third
was a particularly villainous face,
with thick, BLACK, eyebrows run.
ming together above the nose, form
inc M arch To sneak of. and pro.